Losing weight is a huge challenge for many. It’s especially difficult to lose belly fat. You would think that athletes would have it easier when it comes to trimming down and blasting fat, but the exact opposite is usually true.
The closer you are to a healthy weight, the harder it can be to shed those few extra pounds. But, that doesn’t make shedding them any less important, especially if it means your performance will improve.
The key is to lose weight in a healthy way. Here are a few tips that will help you shed those extra pounds without resorting to unhealthy methods to reach your goal weight.
Come up With a Meal Plan
If you’re looking to lose weight, it can be tempting to eat less. Although it may get the job done, it will do absolutely nothing for your performance in the meantime, and it just means you’ll gain the weight back as soon as you return to normal eating again.
Instead, you should come up with a healthy meal plan. The details in your meal plan as an athlete will look different than the average person who’s looking to lose weight, since an exercising body has different needs:
- Fat: 20 to 30 percent of your calories should come from fat.
- Carbohydrates: To keep your energy levels up during exercise, you need 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrate for each kilogram of body weight.
- Protein: Make sure you eat plenty of protein to help repair muscle and boost your immune system.
Calories in and Calories Out
The simplest and easiest way to ensure you’re losing weight consistently is to consider your caloric needs. In order to lose 1 to 2 pounds of body fat each week, you should cut 500 calories from your diet.
As an athlete, you also need to consider the fact that you’re burning hundreds of calories a day. That means you will be able to eat more than the average 2,000 calories a day and still lose weight. However, there are many other things to consider, including gender and starting weight, when coming up with the perfect caloric goal.
Focus on Fluids
Many people focus on food when they want to lose weight. That’s a good start, but you also have to think very carefully about what you drink.
As an athlete, you may be drinking lots of sports drinks, but they can be high in sugar and calories. Instead, cut as many of those drinks out of your diet as you can and focus on drinking water exclusively. It really is the best way to stay hydrated, and studies have even shown that drinking more water can help you lose weight.
Keep in mind that losing weight the healthy way means losing weight slowly. Don’t get discouraged if you only lose a pound or two here and there. Just keep following the tips on this list and you’ll reach your goal weight in a sustainable and healthy way.
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